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Nitrogen 15-N Uptake by Typha X Glauca and Scirpus Lacustris in Cheboygan Marsh and Cheboygan State Park Marsh Molly Kemp, Devin Mcgahey, Jenny Vainberg

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Nitrogen 15-N Uptake by Typha X Glauca and Scirpus Lacustris in Cheboygan Marsh and Cheboygan State Park Marsh Molly Kemp, Devin Mcgahey, Jenny Vainberg Nitrogen 15-N Uptake by Typha x glauca and Scirpus lacustris in Cheboygan Marsh and Cheboygan State Park Marsh Molly Kemp, Devin McGahey, Jenny Vainberg University of Michigan Biological Station EEB 381 General Ecology June 22, 2011 Prof. Anne Axel ABSTRACT Typha x glauca is an invasive plant species growing in Cheboygan Marsh, which is located downstream from the Cheboygan Wastewater Treatment Facility. Its establishment in the marsh has been attributed to the deposition of excess nutrients from the treated water from the treatment facility, specifically deposition of Nitroge15-N (15-N). Given that previous research has shown T. x glauca’s ability to displace native plants, we are interested in seeing if T. x glauca provides any ecosystem services, such as ameliorating the effects of eutrophication by taking up more 15-N than native plant species. We hypothesized that T. x glauca takes up more 15-N than Scirpus lacustris, a native bulrush. To test our hypothesis we collected soil and leaf samples of juvenile T. x glauca and S. lacustris from Cheboygan Marsh, our experimental site, and Cheboygan State Park, our control site. Stable isotope analysis was performed using a mass spectrometer to obtain 15-N to 14-N ratios; the results did not support our hypothesis and showed that S. lacustris took up more 15-N than T. x glauca in the Cheboygan Marsh. Our findings suggest that S. lacustris may be a better denitrifier than T. x glauca. Given that we faced some limitations to our study, we recommend that further research includes more plant and soil samples and that comparative research be done comparing lifetime uptake of 15-N between T. x glauca and S. lacustris. Keywords: Typha x glauca, Scirpus lacustris, cattail, invasive species, Cheboygan Marsh. 1 INTRODUCTION Wetlands are areas such as swamps, marshes or bogs saturated by surface or groundwater that support a variety of plant species adapted to these soil conditions. Wetlands serve as sinks for nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen. Marshes are wetlands with an abundance of nutrients and plant life, having a pH of 7 which is neutral (US EPA 2009). Marshes keep excess nutrients from draining into nearby bodies of water, thus preventing eutrophication. Algal blooms form when these excess nutrients are not absorbed by marsh vegetation (Angeloni, 2006). Algal blooms are accumulated masses of algae or cyanobacteria that can affect food web dynamics and harm surrounding plant and animal species (Anderson, 2002). Harmful algal blooms (HABs) produce toxins as they degrade, leading to foams and scums and oxygen depletion in the lake, and destruction of natural habitats. Algal blooms can lead to eutrophication, which is the accelerated process of ecosystem decay caused by excess nutrients and human activity. Plants that can uptake excess nutrients may provide an ecosystem service by mitigating pollution in marshlands, and invasive plants are usually effective denitrifiers. Invasive species are those which have been accidentally or purposefully introduced to an area outside their origin, and they are competitive for resources (Tuchman 2009). Invasive plant species effectively exploit resources in marshes, so they provide a beneficial ecosystem service while harming their surroundings at the same time by decreasing biodiversity. We studied the Cheboygan Marsh, which was invaded by cattail plants in the 1960s after the Cheboygan Wastewater Treatment Facility was built (City of Cheboygan Water Department [updated 2011]). The treatment plant treats approximately two million gallons per day for residential and commercial accounts, and treats sewage from Inverness Township. The facility expanded in 1978 to provide water treatment using Rotating Biological Contractors, which are 2 disks that allow microorganisms to grow and remove nutrients in wastewater. The water that is discharged goes into the Cheboygan Marsh, which leads to Lake Huron. Pollution from the facility is a threat to Lake Huron, because it can cause algal blooms. The marsh begins growing next to the facility and extends to Lake Huron. Vegetation in the area helps to uptake excess nitrogen and prevents the formation of algal blooms in Lake Huron. We chose to study two plant species in the Cheboygan Marsh and the Cheboygan State Park Marsh. The first species was an invasive cattail hybrid called Typha x glauca, which is a hybrid of native cattails (Typha latifolia) and invasive cattails (Typha angustifolia). T. x glauca can be identified by stout stems that are 3-6 feet in height, and cigar- shaped stalks with brown fibrous flowers at maturity. It is a perennial plant that forms monocultures in marshy habitats in Northern Michigan. The second plant species we studied was Scirpus lacustris (green bulrush), which was chosen because it is a native plant growing in both marshes. S. lacustris is a perennial plant that grows to about 5 feet in height and has brown, fibrous flowering that grows in bunches (USDA 2011). S. lacustris is found growing in freshwater marshes all over North America. Previous research has been done on T. x glauca and its effects on species composition in the Cheboygan Marsh. T. x glauca is an aggressive and invasive species that appeared about 50 years ago in this marsh, outcompeting the native plants for space, nutrients and sunlight (Tuchman 2009). It has a clonal growth pattern, allowing it to spread quickly; it has greater biomass than surrounding species and dead T. x glauca litter builds up as mats (Larkin 2010). The litter keeps other plant species from growing in the same area because it reduces soil temperatures and seed germination ability (Farrer 2009). The invasiveness of T. x glauca and its ability to displace native plant species suggests that it negatively affects marsh ecosystems, but 3 we suspect that T. x glauca benefits the area by acting as a denitrifier. Invasive plants should be better able to exploit excess nutrients than the plants that they displace (Tuchman 2009) and our goal is to see if this is true for T. x glauca compared with S. lacustris. Stable isotope analysis is one method used to measure nitrogen levels in soil and plant samples. Mass spectrometers measure mass-to-charge ratio of ions, separate the ions according to this ratio, and detect these different ions. Ratios of different stable isotopes can be measured in a single plant or soil sample (Tissue 1996). 14-N is the naturally occurring stable isotope of nitrogen, and 15-N is the heavier stable isotope of mineral nitrogen compounds. Human disturbance and waste deposits cause unnaturally elevated nutrient levels in the area. Consequently, higher 15-N levels are expected in the Cheboygan Marsh than in the Cheboygan State Park Marsh because of the waste deposited from the Cheboygan Wastewater Treatment Plant. We predict that stable isotope analysis will show that T. x glauca has higher 15-N to 14-N ratios than S. lacustris because it is a better competitor for nitrogen, so it should be able to make better use of the nutrients in the environment and act as a denitrifier. The 15-N isotope is a tracer of enriched nitrogen and can be measured using a mass spectrometer. 4 METHODS AND MATERIALS Study Sites Two sites were used for this study: the first study site was located in Cheboygan Marsh and the second study site was located in Cheboygan State Park (Fig. 1). Two plots were set up in each of these sites. Fig. 1. Map of Cheboygan Marsh and Cheboygan State Park. Site Description. Site 1: Cheboygan Marsh (Experimental Site) (Fig. 2) Cheboygan Marsh is a freshwater coastal marsh situated in the city of Cheboygan. The marsh is located approximately 205 meters downstream from the Cheboygan Wastewater Treatment Facility and feeds directly into Lake Huron. The marsh was heavily colonized by an invasive typha species in the 1950’s, which later hybridized with the native typha to form T. x glauca (Tuchman 2009). We chose to use this as our experimental site because there has been an observable difference in plant species composition in the past 50 years (Tuchman 2009). This change in composition has been speculated to possibly be facilitated by the deposition of nutrients from the wastewater treatment facility, specifically of the Nitroge15-N isotope (15-N). 5 Fig. 2. Map of Cheboygan Marsh: Cheboygan Wastewater Treatment Facility indicated with black circle, plots 1 and 2 indicated with red circles. Plot 1 is 511 meters from the facility (25 m from Lake Huron shoreline) and plot 2 is 450 meters from the facility (86 m from the shoreline). Plant Species Composition at Cheboygan Marsh From what we observed, the area of the marsh closest to the wastewater treatment facility is substantially covered in thick senesced T. x glauca beds and there is relatively little other plant growth present. Thus overall observable plant composition in this area (~205 meters from facility) is comprised of juvenile T. x glauca plants and juvenile white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). As we continued further into the marsh (~450 meters from facility), plant species composition shifted to juvenile and senesced T. x glauca and juvenile S. lacustris, the latter of which we used in our study to compare its uptake of 15-N to T. x glauca’s uptake of 15-N. Plant species composition remained the same between the 450 meter mark and the shoreline. Site Description. Site 2: Cheboygan State Park (Control Site) (Fig. 3) Cheboygan State Park is located on the Straits of Mackinaw and borders Lake Huron. The site we studied at the park is also a freshwater coastal marsh. We used this site as the control for our 6 study because it is not dominated by invasive T. x glauca--though it is present there--and there is no wastewater treatment facility in the vicinity nor other evidence of excess 15-N deposition.
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